Goats help manage fire risk

Brush Goats 4 Hire is an outfit in Santa Barbara County, Calif., that sets their herds loose for "target browsing" to help homeowners and municipalities deal with the area's most damaging phenomenon: wildfires.

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Goats help manage fire risk

Brush Goats 4 Hire is an outfit in Santa Barbara County, Calif., that sets their herds loose for "target browsing" to help homeowners and municipalities deal with the area's most damaging phenomenon: wildfires. Bob Riha Jr., USA TODAY

The herd of mostly wethers (castrated males) is accompanied by two Anatolian predator dogs to protect the goats from coyotes, rattlers and nosy domestic hounds. Here, they are on a ridgeline above Santa Barbara. Bob Riha Jr., USA TODAY

As for the use of goats on a national level, one expert says: "It's still a kind of embryonic industry, but there is certainly more and more growing demand. It's going to continue to evolve because the fire risk is not going to go away." Bob Riha Jr., USA TODAY

Henry, a tan-colored mixed-breed goat, along with 68 of his buddies, is chowing down on chemise, ceanothus, thistle and assorted native grasses. Or as fire officials term it: fuel! This 2-acre patch of land, bordered by a small clump of homes and a popular hiking trail in the Santa Barbara foothills, is tinder dry — a big concern during peak fire season. Bob Riha Jr., USA TODAY

Ian Newsam and son Constantine build fencing for their goats.
Says Newsam, "Our concept is to put the goats where they shine the best. On hillsides, where you can't put machines or where it's dangerous for people to be, these goats are amazingly agile." Bob Riha Jr., USA TODAY